Women’s Issues in Transportation: Summary of the 4th International Conference, Volume 2: Technical Papers (2011)

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95 Women’s Safety and Security Issues with Bicycling and Walking Examination of Potential Planning, Design, and Technology Solutions Stephen T. vaughn, University of Illinois at Chicago In the nonmotorized transportation field, gender dif- ferences in bicycling and walking are well documented, and personal safety has been identified as a deterrent to their increased usage. This concern for safety is not limited to the physical environment of the roadways, but includes the individual’s perception of safety in the surrounding neighborhoods as well as the environment of multiuse paths and lanes. This paper uses data from the National Crime victimization Survey and the FBI’s National Incident-Based Reporting System to examine gender issues and to identify major safety and security concerns for users. The study incorporates focus group recommendations to offer planning and policy recom- mendations to increase the number of women who choose nonmotorized transportation. Nonmotorized transportation has been identified as the most affordable and health-conscious alternative to vehicular travel, with benefits not solely predicated in individual health achievements but also in environmental enhancements. Leading medical and health journals have explicitly advocated walking and cycling for daily travel as the most affordable, fea- sible, and dependable way for Americans to get the addi- tional exercise they need, a critical point given that 64% of Americans were overweight and 31% obese in 2001 (Pucher and Renne 2003). while research publications have advocated additional exercise as a way to combat obesity, and federally assisted roadway project funding benefiting nonmotorized transportation has increased to more than $75 billion a year, the share of total trips by nonmotorized transportation in the United States still stands at only about 1%, which is lower than in most european countries (Pucher et al. 1999). According to the 2001 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS), more than 60% of all personal trips are 5 mi or less in length, with 40% of those trips 2 mi or less. These are considered reasonable bicycling distances. About 14% of all personal trips are a half mile or less, which is considered reasonable walking distance. Based on the defined reasonable nontransportation distances (NHTS 2001), a total of 65.1% of daily personal work trips and 43.7% of daily personal nonwork trips are within walking or bicycling distance, yet these modes are still not achieving the mode share in the United States that they attain in other countries. The percentages of nonmotorized transportation use are more polarized when considering gender. In the United States, bicycling, as a mode share, accounts for only 0.5% of urban trips among women (Pucher and Renne 2003), whereas in Denmark, more women than men use bicycles for trans- port, with 17% of all trips by women made by bicycles compared with 15% of all trips for men. In the Nether- lands, about 31% of all trips by women are by bicycle compared with 26% for men. In Germany, rates of bicy- cle trips per week among women have increased more than among men (Garrard 2003). In addition to roadway safety as it pertains to vehicu- lar interactions, the perception of crime, as it pertains to personal safety, has been well-documented as influencing women’s travel patterns. Female pedestrians and cyclists may feel particularly vulnerable to crime given their rel-

96 wOMeN’S ISSUeS IN TRANSPORTATION, vOLUMe 2 ative level of exposure compared with persons in cars with doors that may be locked, the potential inability to quickly escape a threatening situation, or a lack of infra- structure (such as street lights or call boxes) that would increase their expectation of safety. According to Lynch and Atkins (1988), it is fear, or apprehension, that influ- ences travel behavior, while Loukaitou-Sideris (2005) has noted that women’s perception of risk in public space is influenced by both the social and the physical factors of the environment. The variations in perceptions of risk are derived from both the environment through which the individual is traveling and her relative level of familiarity with this environment. This familiarity is influenced or determined by the preconceived images of an individual regarding a place and its occupants (valentine 1990). A lack of familiarity with particular surroundings or envi- ronments may cause women to avoid these areas alto- gether or only traverse them during certain times of the day. This concern contributes to inconsistent nonmotor- ized transportation use and quite possibly lower levels of women bicycling and walking. Several factors are likely to contribute to perceptions of safety and security, and a more in-depth understanding is necessary to determine how enhancements in these areas are likely to improve walking and bicycling conditions and rates of nonmo- torized usage among women. Improving the aforemen- tioned issues with nonmotorized usage for women may not, however, be enough to increase their perception of safety and security within the nonmotorized travel mode or even possibly attract new users. Increasing the per- ception of safety not only involves addressing the built environment issues or the locations of paths, but requires understanding the areas in which these criminal events occur. This paper provides an exploratory analysis of the factors noted by using qualitative methods. A woman’s familiarity with particular areas is one of the main reasons for her utilizing certain paths and roadways, but it is this same familiarity that exposes her to potential offenders because of her formalized routines and patterns of travel. One area of development that has a potential role in improving bicycle and pedestrian usage among women are portable information systems. Although there are cur- rently navigation systems for bicyclists in the market (e.g., the Garmin edge 705 and edge 605), these devices are currently restricted to routing information only, with no richness in content regarding conditions of nonmotorized travel, including information on crime and safety. This paper explores the types of content especially related to safety and security that may be useful to female pedestrians and bicyclists by means of such a system. The research presented here aims to build on the cur- rent literature in understanding the gender differences in nonmotorized transportation use and substantiates some of the hypotheses previously proposed by researchers. The paper has two primary objectives: first, to examine gender issues by using aggregate crime patterns, focus- ing on those occurring in roadways and in public spaces that may be of concern to women bicyclists and pedestri- ans, by using data from the Federal Bureau of Investiga- tion’s (FBI’s) National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) and the Bureau of Justice Statistic’s National Crime victimization Survey (NCvS); and second, to identify, by means of a focus group, the major safety and security concerns for female users of nonmotorized transportation and the actions they take to increase their perceived level of safety. On the basis of this analysis, recommendations are provided to increase nonmotor- ized transportation usage by women. The following sections first provide a brief review of the literature in the area of women’s safety concerns. Previous studies have focused primarily on the safety of the built environment (e.g., crash likelihood) in evaluat- ing safety measures. within this body of literature, the present study evaluates the potential impacts of crime and feelings of personal vulnerability. Results are then presented from the FBI NIBRS and NCvS data on crime patterns in public spaces as they relate to women, and finally the focus group results are presented. liteRatuRe Review The present paper is motivated by previous literature that identifies safety as a variable among many potential deterrents to increasing usage of nonmotorized transpor- tation. However, a good portion of the literature focuses on the built environment or safety within the roadway and nonmotorized interactions with vehicular traffic. Such a focus may overlook the issue of personal safety, though crime as a deterrent to nonmotorized transpor- tation is consistently identified in built environment research as one of the main reasons individuals alter their travel patterns or decrease their physical activity levels (Stokols 1992). In addition, one of the limitations to this focus upon the built environment is the inability to reli- ably measure the individual perception of safety and the other intangibles that it entails. while the inability to effectively measure the per- ception of safety and security may negatively affect nonmotorized use in neighborhoods, the presence of opportunities for bicycling and walking are identified as contributing to the livability of the communities (Burden et al. 1999). The benefits of bicycling and walking may be decreased if fear of crime negatively impacts the abil- ity to make use of these opportunities. Livability of com- munities focuses on the nonmotorized amenities such as mixed-use developments, which provide desirable desti- nations for residents that are within reasonable nonmo- torized distance, continuity of sidewalk and bike path networks and their proximity to vehicular traffic, and

97wOMeN’S SAFeTY AND SeCURITY ISSUeS wITH BICYCLING AND wALKING the presence of streetlights to improve the perception of safety. while not exhaustive, this list is indicative of the pedestrian-friendly amenities that may contribute to the livability of communities and the subsequent increase in female nonmotorized users. Previous researchers, when identifying possibilities for increasing nonmotorized transportation use among women and bicyclists in general, discuss grade separation of bicycle lanes or expanding the roadway infrastructure as a means of improving safety for current bicyclists and possibly alleviating the safety concerns of potential non- motorized users. Previous research also has shown that women tend to be more concerned with safety factors than males (Krizek et al. 2005) and have a preference for off-road paths. The roadway or built environment does not exhaust the constraints that prevent women from increasing their nonmotorized transportation usage; for example, Garrard et al. (2008) identify personal and socio- environmental constraints that intimidate potential bicy- clists, such as unfamiliarity with road rules for bicyclists, bicycling etiquette, and general bicycling knowledge. Some researchers believe that focus should also be placed upon the utilization of the idea of “designing out fear” in the environment (Newman 1972), which is based on ideas about defensible space. Four factors make a space defensible: territoriality, natural surveillance, image, and milieu. These principles focus on creating or improving the resident’s perception of safety and security through a sense of ownership and responsibility. This idea of commu- nity involvement allows for potential offenders to possibly reconsider their actions and therefore reduce the levels and frequencies of criminal activity. However, Koskela (2000) believes that a perception of fear is not based solely upon built environment improvements, but is more of an indi- vidual social issue and is more complex than the design process that “designing out fear” entails and does not improve women’s perception of safety. while the major- ity of the safety and security focus has been placed on the built environment and the nonmotorized interactions with vehicles, in attempting to understand the discrepancies in nonmotorized use in the United States the social issues that exist within individual interactions and the potential ele- ment of crime must also be considered. ReseaRch methods This paper has two primary research objectives: to ana- lyze aggregate crime patterns against women in transpor- tation facilities and public spaces by analyzing NIBRS and NCvS data and to understand the types of safety and security concerns among women bicyclists and pedestrians by means of a focus group. In this section, the author expands on the research methods employed to meet these two research objectives. Databases Analyzed to Develop Crime Patterns Two databases relating to crime and victimization were analyzed for the results presented in this paper: first, NCvS, a random sample of nationally representative households; and second, NIBRS, an administrative data- base on crime incidents reported by local police depart- ments to the FBI. By pooling information from both databases, it is possible to overcome some of the unique limitations of each system and to develop a more com- plete picture of crimes against women in public places. The purpose of the analysis was to understand gender differences in the location type, distance from home, type of activity at the time of the crime, and the time at which the crime occurred. Additional analysis on the type of crime (coded as per the Uniform Crime Reporting [UCR] system) experienced by women is also presented here. National Crime Victimization Survey NCvS is a primary source of information collected by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) on criminal victim- ization. each year, data are obtained from a nationally representative sample of 76,000 households comprising nearly 135,300 persons on the frequency, characteristics, and consequences of criminal victimization in the United States. The survey enables BJS to estimate the likelihood of victimization by rape, sexual assault, robbery, assault, theft, household burglary, and motor vehicle theft for the population as a whole as well as for segments of the pop- ulation such as women, the elderly, members of various racial groups, city dwellers, or other groups. NCvS pro- vides the largest national forum to define characteristics of violent offenders and for victims to describe the impact of crime. The greatest benefit of using NCvS is that data on crimes that may be underreported to the police (especially those of a sexual nature, which tend to be far greater in the case of female victims as compared with male victims) are likely to be available from the NCvS. For the purpose of this paper, the national-level NCvS data archives for the years 1992 to 2005 were pooled to yield information on gender differences in the location type, distance from home, type of activity at the time of the crime, and the time at which the crime occurred. FBI National Incident-Based Reporting System NIBRS, a nationwide reporting system for crimes known to the police, is part of the National Archive of Crimi- nal Justice Data. when an incident occurs, data are col- lected in relation to the offense (such as type of incident and location of incident); the victim (such as age, sex, and gender); general administrative information (such as

98 wOMeN’S ISSUeS IN TRANSPORTATION, vOLUMe 2 incident time of day); property information (such as type of property stolen and recovered); and offender vari- ables. while data are collected on 46 specific types of incidents, crimes for which data are collected that may be of particular concern to women cyclists and pedestri- ans include the following (BJS 2007): • Homicide, • Forcible rape, • Robbery, • Aggravated assault, • Burglary, • Larceny–theft, • Motor vehicle theft, and • Arson NIBRS is a part of the UCR Program, which provides a view of crime based on the submission of criminal reports from law enforcement agencies across the country. Since 1930, through the UCR, the FBI has compiled and col- lected data to study fluctuations in levels of crime. Focus Group Design A focus group was held in Chicago, Illinois, to identify factors that were of particular concern to users of non- motorized transportation. The focus group explored personal safety and security issues while bicycling and walking as well as possible deterrents to increased fre- quencies of nonmotorized usage. A targeted snowball sampling approach was used, with potential participants contacted via phone call or email by nonmotorized transportation organization listservs, activity calendars, and blogs. Incentives were offered in the form of light refreshments during the focus group, and gift cards were given to the chosen participants upon completion. To participate in the focus group, a short background ques- tionnaire was completed to ensure a more diverse popu- lation of nonmotorized transportation users. The design was a dual-moderator focus group, and 15 women from a variety of nonmotorized backgrounds shared their concerns with safety and security and provided informa- tion and ideas regarding the issues facing nonmotorized transportation users. The conversation was recorded via a digital voice recorder and notes were taken on flip charts in order to aid transcription. data analysis Analysis of the NCvS data by gender revealed a sig- nificant relationship between gender and the place of crime, gender and distance from home, and gender and time of incident occurrence. However, a signifi- cant relationship did not exist between gender and the activity at time of incident. Understanding these relationships are important to developing strategies to addressing the safety and security concerns of women and to laying the groundwork for potential planning and policy changes to encourage nonmotorized trans- portation by women. Table 1 shows that the majority of crimes against both men (38.2%) and women (about 50%) occur within their own home or in the immediate vicinity of their homes. This statistic shows that the perception of safety does not solely depend on unfamiliarity with neighborhoods or bike paths or lane networks, but includes numerous other factors. The occurrence of victimization within or near an area with which an individual is familiar may discourage nonmotorized use due to her needing to avoid potentially dangerous situations as quickly as pos- sible by using the fastest mode of transportation, and the fastest mode of travel available is the vehicle. Table 1 also shows parking lots and garages (10.5%) as more unsafe than open areas, on street, or public transpor- tation (6.61%) for women. This encourages use of the rational choice theory of environmental criminologists, in which the offender may possibly be motivated by the potential rewards outweighing the risks in parking lots or garages rather than in public spaces. The vast majority of crimes against both men (52.95%) and women (51.95%) occur on their way to and from work and school (Table 1). These routine activities of men and women offer exponential opportunities for offenders to victimize the nonmotorized users. while the chi-squared test of significance shows the relationship between gender and activity at time of incident as not significant, the mere presence of a routine exposes the individuals to the routine activities theory of environ- mental criminologists, which focuses on criminal oppor- tunities that are created as a result of societal behavior (Cohen and Felson 1979). This unknown risk exposure by the individuals may deter future nonmotorized use if an incident occurs because there may exist a fear of the repercussions of nonmotorized mode use or a decrease in the individual’s overall perception of safety. Table 1 additionally shows that compared to men, women are more likely to be victimized the further they travel from home. This indicates that women may be traveling into unfamiliar areas and exposing themselves to risks that may not be present in areas in which they are familiar. However, the chi-squared test statistic shows a significant relationship between gender and distance from home, and a total of 53.67% of incidents against women occur within reasonable walking or bicycling distance from their home. If the neighborhoods in which women reside are shown to be unsafe for nonmotorized usage, then women are potentially discouraged from using nonmotorized transportation.

99wOMeN’S SAFeTY AND SeCURITY ISSUeS wITH BICYCLING AND wALKING According to the NCvS data, a larger percentage of criminal incidents against women occur between noon and midnight (Table 1). This table is important in under- standing why women may hesitate to utilize nonmotor- ized transportation, and it graphically reinforces the findings from the NCvS data that there is a significant relationship between gender and time of incident occur- rence. Simple assault incidents were analyzed from the NIBRS data because NCvS defines simple assault as an attack without a weapon resulting either in no injury, minor injury, or in undetermined injury requiring less than 2 days of hospitalization. These reported inci- dents have a higher frequency than others, hence they are assumed to be more common and are the types of incidents that may possibly influence decisions to bicycle and walk. It is during this time period that, according to the National Survey of Bicyclist and Pedestrian Attitudes and Behavior (2008), 56% of bicycle trips and 50% of walking trips originate. The existence of a significant relationship between gender and time of incident occur- rence suggests that time of incident occurrence may have greater implications for female pedestrians than it does for bicyclists. while the levels of risk exposure vary for cyclists and pedestrians, cyclists are more prone to escape potentially dangerous situations involving unfamiliar TABLE 1 Crime Incident Variables, by Gender variable Men (%) women (%) Place of crimea In respondent’s home or lodging In own dwelling, own garage or porch 15.17 23.45 In detached building on own property 2.55 2.42 In vacation home or second home 0.46 0.43 Total 18.18 26.30 Near own home Own yard, sidewalk, driveway, carport, unenclosed porch 18.87 21.58 Apartment hall, storage area, laundry room 0.85 1.22 On street immediately adjacent to own home 5.53 4.73 Total 25.25 27.53 At, in, or near the home of a friend, relative, or neighbor At or in home or other building on their property 1.93 2.38 Yard, sidewalk, driveway, carport 1.90 1.37 Apartment hall, storage area, laundry room 0.10 0.14 On street immediately adjacent to their home 1.25 0.91 Total 5.18 4.80 Parking lots and garages Commercial parking lot or garage 3.13 2.21 Noncommercial parking lot or garage 6.34 5.02 Apartment or townhouse parking lot or garage 3.70 3.29 Total 13.17 10.52 Open areas, on street, or on public transportation In apartment yard, park, field, playground 1.75 1.07 On street 8.47 4.67 On public transportation or in station 0.95 0.87 Total 11.17 6.61 Activity at time of incidentb (02) On way to or from work 24.50 22.38 (03) On way to or from school 28.45 29.57 (04) On way to or from other 46.93 47.95 Don’t know if (03) or (04) 0.12 0.10 Distance from homea 1 mi or less 22.28 19.81 5 mi or less 32.97 33.86 50 mi or less 33.14 33.50 More than 50 mi 9.05 9.10 Don’t know how far 2.55 3.73 Time of incident occurrencea After 6 a.m. to 12 noon 14.63 15.95 After 12 noon to 6 p.m. 36.23 37.52 After 6 p.m. to 12 midnight 28.25 27.77 After 12 midnight to 6 a.m. 20.89 18.76 a Chi-square < .0001 (significant). b Chi-square = .078 (not significant at the .05 level but is significant at .1 level). Source: National Crime victimization Survey.

100 wOMeN’S ISSUeS IN TRANSPORTATION, vOLUMe 2 individuals due to the higher speeds at which they travel than pedestrians. In addition, while the higher speeds may allow for cyclists to avoid unfamiliar individuals, it exposes them to the other facets of risk exposure, such as vehicles and roadway obstructions. Crime data analysis implies that nonmotorized trans- portation modes are subject to the relationships between gender and the variables place of crime, distance from home where the crime occurs, and time at which the crime occurs. These significant relationships provide a glimpse of the reasons why women nonmotorized trans- portation users are not achieving higher usage levels in the United States compared to other countries and can possibly be addressed via numerous planning and policy changes. These are summarized below. Planning • Introduce nonmotorized infrastructure to areas where it is absent and aids such as alarms, community policing groups, roadside assistance devices and facilities, and social networks of women bicyclists and pedestrians. • Ensure the continuity of the path and lane network, well-lit facilities, and removal of areas and minimization of conditions that encourage loitering, public nuisance, and crime against women bicyclists and pedestrians. • Use sketch planning tools to understand whether the urban ecology and environment in which the path or lane is located encourage or discourage criminal activ- ity and develop strategies that can be undertaken at the planning level to improve neighborhood conditions that facilitate crime. • Design roadway geometry for alternative uses to the vehicle and eliminate nonmotorized user confusion, which can pose hazards by reducing walkers’ or bicy- clists’ focus and alertness against crime. Policy • Aggressively enforce laws that protect cyclists and pedestrians within and in the vicinity of the roadway. • Increase spending to improve conditions that cur- rently have nonmotorized transportation infrastructure. • Encourage nonmotorized use via tax incentives to increase the total pool of users so that the increase in numbers itself is a deterrent to crime against women bicyclists and pedestrians. • Expand driver education programs to include non- motorized users. • Expand information technology options to provide real-time information on safety and personal security, connectivity to other women bicyclists and pedestrians seeking to travel in the same direction, information on weather, construction, special events, and other factors that are likely to create hazards or confusion for women, which in turn can reduce their level of alertness against crime and increase their vulnerability. while the crime data statistics in Table 1 show sig- nificant gender relationships in the location, time, and distance from home with victimization incidents, they don’t provide a fully developed view of the environment in which these incidents occur. Understanding the indi- vidual perceptions of safety and security are important in knowing which planning and policy activities need to be implemented to improve the experience of the nonmo- torized user population. This multilayered issue requires further exploration within a focus group setting to gain insight into the elements of a roadway or path and lane environment that improve individual perceptions of safety and security and whether specific technologies can alleviate any of their concern. Focus group safety and security concerns are shown in Table 2. majoR Recommendations Table 3 shows the major recommendations offered, which were categorized as safety, education, marketing, and information (SeMI). These concepts were part of a recurring theme among members of the focus group, whether pedestrian or cyclist, and reinforce the previ- ous research as well as the statistical analysis that shows gender as having a significant relationship with place of incident, distance from home, and time of incident occurrence. Improve Safety The individual’s perception of the safety of the physi- cal environment determines which paths to take for her nonmotorized trips. Individual perceptions of safety cen- ter on the known presence of crime or the potential for criminal activity to exist in particular areas. A lack of adequate street or path lighting was a recurring theme in the focus group, as was time of day of travel and presence of “hidden dangers” that may provoke criminal activ- ity. Increasing the number of call boxes or emergency lights throughout the city would increase the perception of safety for women in the absence of a visible police presence. Individual perceptions of safety also involve an ability to escape potentially perilous situations. A partici- pant commented that for safety reasons she “drives to the store or to run her errands as opposed to running or cycling” while another commented that she “feels safer on a bicycle than on foot because she can outrun darn near anyone on foot with her bike, but she can’t run as

101wOMeN’S SAFeTY AND SeCURITY ISSUeS wITH BICYCLING AND wALKING fast on her feet,” so the ability to escape a threatening situation on a bicycle faster than she could on foot is important to her. Pedestrians altered their travel patterns completely if they believed a trip to place them in any danger. Increase Education The overwhelming majority of participants stated that a possible change to the driver’s education curriculum would be helpful in decreasing the number of poten- tial conflicts between nonmotorized users and vehicles within the roadway. The program would teach bicyclists how to become more predictable in their actions within the roadway by using hand signals and communicating with the vehicular traffic. One participant admitted that she didn’t know that her actions were “confusing the drivers” until enrolling in a bicyclist education class. Introduce Marketing Campaign The focus group believes that although individuals are aware of the potential health and environmental benefits of bicycling and walking, most choose to ignore them due to current policies and travel environments that favor vehicular travel. It was suggested that an aggres- sive marketing campaign be undertaken, similar to the anti-smoking campaign, to inform the public of the ben- efits of bicycling and walking to increase nonmotorized use. A participant further mentioned that she knew indi- viduals who would cycle to work if there were facilities available for showering, clothes changing, and bike stor- TABLE 2 Focus Group Results Safety and Security Concerns Description Resolution Path and lane design ease of accessibility; continuity of network; awkward Avoid certain paths and lanes because of location, lack of location (getting “doored,” hidden within trees); lack lighting, continuity, accessibility and path–lane etiquette. of lighting; lack of bicycle signage; cyclists aggressive toward pedestrians on paths. Bicyclist or driver Driver’s superior feeling to pedestrians and bicycles; Cyclists enrolled in a safety course for cyclists; attend education aggressiveness of drivers; drivers ignoring stop bars seminars and workshops on fixing bikes and becoming and crosswalks; no roadway etiquette for drivers familiar with them. toward cyclists; cyclists not obeying roadway signage. Criminal activity Pedestrians and bicyclists feel a lack of privacy Pedestrians and cyclists change their travel route frequently to or intimidation because they are being gawked at by groups of men; confuse potential offenders; utilize a buddy system of walking rude comments made by men toward them; concern or cycling with friends and family; change their appearance to for possible other “hidden dangers” within the appear more athletic, such as wearing a jumpsuit as opposed to environment (excessive trees, lack of lighting, etc.). clothes that may expose figures; avoid certain paths and lanes; carry personal protection (pepper spray, mace, U-lock); limit travel (commuting or recreation) to daylight hours; seek out community of cyclists and pedestrians; go to gym in their neighborhood or surrounding area to exercise. Pedestrians use car for travel when they normally would walk or run for personal errands. Roadway safety Construction roadway closures or catch basin Cyclists wear reflective clothing for visibility; attended seminars cutouts not visible at night; seasonal factors (ice or and workshops for cyclist roadway safety; check weather rain); presence of curbs that allow no escape from information for trip planning; avoid using certain lanes on aggressive drivers; lack of bicycle signage. roadways with high vehicular traffic. TABLE 3 SEMI Recommendations Recommendation Description Increase perception of safety for Change the lane or path environment (increase street lighting, remove “intimidation” factors of pedestrians and cyclists path or lane location); install emergency call boxes; increase bicycle signage; improve continuity of lane–path network. Driver and cyclist education Change the education curriculum for driver education; educate cyclists on becoming more predictable in their movements within the roadway; teach proper path etiquette between cyclists and pedestrians. Introduce marketing campaign for Speak to health and environmental benefits of cycling and walking, similar to antismoking nonmotorized travel campaign. Improve available information to Offer real-time weather updates, points of interest along routes or surrounding areas for trip pedestrians and cyclists planning, construction updates, location of police or fire stations, news feeds or crime updates, and location of bus or trains.

102 wOMeN’S ISSUeS IN TRANSPORTATION, vOLUMe 2 age at their work location. The possibility of federal tax or employer-offered incentives for cycling and walking were raised as possibilities to increase the population of nonmotorized users. Improve Available Information various recommendations were offered for technology that pedestrians and bicyclists thought would benefit their travels. while the weather Channel, weatherBug, various routing software, bus tracker, and smartphone (RSS feeds) were widely used for information, as well as word of mouth from the community of nonmotor- ized users, portable devices such as cellular phones or smartphones are used to access information during their trips. Potential areas for technological applications for nonmotorized transportation include • Real-time weather updates to determine attire to wear or to determine the length or direction of the trip as well as rerouting in case of inclement weather. • Points of interest, such as festivals, events, restau- rants, and shopping for the neighborhoods they are cur- rently in or traveling through. • Construction updates for advanced notice of road closures for rerouting to other bicycle paths and lanes in the area. • Location of police and fire stations to increase per- ceptions of safety for pedestrians and bicyclists and to know where to report possible criminal activity. • News feeds or crime updates that would be used to determine if a particular neighborhood should be avoided on the nonmotorized trip due to recent increases in criminal activity. • Vital statistics, such as calories burned and heart rate, as well as on-bicycle computer for speed, average speed, and distance. • Location of bus or train stations or individual pub- lic transportation for use in case of inclement weather or inability to continue by bicycle (e.g., an unrepairable flat tire). The focus group responses indicate that applicable technologies that inform the user of events or incidents so that they may better plan their nonmotorized trip are needed. These technologies largely centered on the safety and security of the individuals or increasing their percep- tion of safety. The need for real-time weather information, construction updates, location of police or fire stations, location of bus or train stations, all indicate that safety and security are of the utmost importance to the nonmotor- ized traveler. The knowledge of points of interest suggests that users feel an increase in their perception of safety and security when they are knowledgeable about their sur- roundings, and this increased knowledge of events breeds familiarity and improves their sense of security. conclusion In the nonmotorized transportation field, gender differ- ences in bicycling and walking are well-documented, and previous studies have indicated that a concern for safety is a relevant factor in explaining possible gender differ- ences in bicycling behavior (emond et al. 2009). This concern for safety is not limited to the physical environ- ment of the roadways but includes the availability of bicycle facilities and the safety of the surrounding neigh- borhoods. while the fatality statistics for bicyclists and pedestrians are declining, the exposure risk for women is increasing due to their being equally as mobile as men in overall number of trips (Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning 2007). The offered planning and policy recommendations to address women’s safety and security issues are contained within the SeMI approach, which focuses on improving nonmotorized user safety with technology while educat- ing vehicle drivers and nonmotorists and increasing pub- lic awareness through marketing campaigns. In order to successfully integrate nonmotorized transportation within a vehicle-dominant environment, major planning and policy changes must take place that will require widespread organizational coordination. This research examined issues that may be of concern to female pedes- trians and cyclists by using NCvS and NIBRS data; identified major safety and security concerns for female nonmotorized transportation users and the actions they take to increase their perception of safety; and by means of a focus group, provided recommendations to increase nonmotorized transportation usage by women. 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